2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

As you might imagine, our initial love for the STI faded with every trip to the dealer. But when the car was functioning properly, it was an extremely capable and fun-to-drive machine. The all-wheel-drive system proved fantastic during the winter months and the suspension provides a much more civilized ride than that of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

The 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four produces 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque—no matter which engine block you may be on—and it propelled the STI to an initial 0-to-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds and quarter-mile run of 13.6 at 102 mph. Long-term vehicles usually improve on their initial figures by the end of the 40,000-mile trial, but the STI threw down identical numbers in its final test—less than surprising considering the relatively green second engine block and internals. The WRX STI is rated by the EPA at 17 mpg city and 23 highway and we managed 20 mpg overall. While it’s certainly within the EPA ratings, we don’t find that number to be particularly stellar given that the car is powered by a four-cylinder engine. But given the performance on tap, it’s not terrible, either.

We also added a full audio/video/navigation system from Alpine, but we sorta wish we hadn’t. We replaced the Subaru’s stock speakers, powering them through an external amplifier, and added the IVA-W505 AV head unit. The sound quality was a tremendous upgrade, drawing many praises for its clarity and distortion-free performance no matter how loud the volume. But the Alpine’s navigation function was not as well-tuned; the satellite reception proved finicky on the best of days and, eventually, the nav system decided to simply stop booting up, rendering it useless. The brains were replaced with an updated nav unit, but the same problems persisted. Poor screen resolution and the fact that the detached remote control was the only way to intuitively do anything cemented the near-universal loathing for the A/V system.

Maintenance Costs and Service Notes

According to Subaru, its “turbocharged vehicles are considered to be operated under severe driving conditions,” which means oil changes are called for every 3750 miles instead of the brand’s usual 7500-mile intervals. Each oil change cost $30 as performed by the dealer, although the 15,000-mile service was $149 owing to tire rotation, a fluid check, a general inspection, and a new air filter. So we spent a reasonable $463 on maintenance—but it could have cost a lot more. Our brake pads and rotors were used up before we hit 34,000 miles, but Subaru actually covers brake wear as part of the 3-year/36,000-mile general warranty. It’s a good thing, because a similar brake job would have crested the four-figure mark had we been forced to pay out of pocket.

Two further unscheduled service stops were made: one for a malfunctioning evaporative canister that was replaced under warranty and, funnily, a recall to reflash the ECU to avoid abnormal combustion. A door ding and a new rear bumper cover plus paint—our bad—cost $2200 at the body shop.

The stock summer-only Dunlop SP Sport 600 tires, which returned a respectable 0.93 g on the skidpad but proved loud at higher speeds, wore out quickly and needed to be replaced after only 19,800 miles. We opted to go with Yokohama’s new Advan Neova AD08 performance tire ($1220 for four) instead of OEM replacements, and the new rubber delivered virtually identical levels of grip and seemed to smooth out and quiet the ride. If you plan to do a lot of commuting with your STI but still seek grip for those twisty roads, the Yokos are a very worthy replacement skin.

A Love That Couldn’t Be

The high sticker price of the STI stirred controversy among our staff, especially since it doesn’t even come with simple garment hooks, much less heated mirrors or some of the more luxurious features available on other cars at its price point. Most of us couldn’t see giving up a BMW 1- or 3-series for the money. Further, the quick parts and tire wear and massive mechanical failures were enough to drive us batty. If this were our personal car, we can’t even begin to imagine how upset we’d be.

But, as any enthusiast knows, if a car brings a smile to your face, all reason can fly out the window and a lot can be forgiven—take German car owners and electrical gremlins, for example—and when a highway entrance ramp cleared or the bad weather rolled in, the STI was an absolute hoot. Of course, justifying the STI became much more difficult once Subaru upped the power in the standard 2009 WRX to 265 hp, which we’ve recorded hitting 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, some 0.4 second quicker than our STI. It’s true that the STI does offer a better ride/handling balance, a less balky shifter, and more mid-range power, but that’s not enough to back up its $10,000 price premium. We really wanted to fall in love with the STI, but things . . . just got complicated.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.

*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.